Is there a connection between children’s language skills, creativity, and play?

ABSTRACT

This study explored the connection between children’s language skills, creativity, and play. The participants were 151 (76 boys and 75 girls) primarily middle-income, European American children. Ages ranged from 4 to 6 years. This project employed mixed methods approaches. Children engaged in several tasks. These included: creating a story about their drawing while completing the Goodenough Harris Draw a Person Task, creating an original story with the opportunity to incorporate props; and completing the TELD- 3 receptive and expressive language task. We also recorded children’s social and cognitive play behaviours using a modified version of Rubin’s (2001) Play Observation Scale (POS). We found positive interactions between story creativity and play behaviours, story creativity and language, creativity (drawing) and language, creativity (drawing) and play behaviours, and play behaviours and language. These findings support the connection between creativity, language, and play and the benefits these skills and abilities have on children’s learning and development.

KEYWORDS:

• Young children
• child development
• play
• creativity
• language abilities
• early childhood
• early childhood education

Acknowledgements

The authors kindly thank the children, their caregivers, and the participating preschools for their cooperation and participation in this project. We appreciate the contributions of our additional research team members: Bryan Cusack, Herleen Kaur, Erika Lonzini, Kristi Micelli, Kelly Moedt, Morgan Saemann, Marissa Stiuso, and Erin Schreiber for their assistance with this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robyn M. Holmes

Robyn M. Holmes is a Professor of Psychology at Monmouth University. Her teaching and research interests are interdisciplinary and focus upon children's experiences and activities.

Kristen Kohm

Kristen Kohm recently received her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from the Contemporary Learning and Interdisciplinary Research program at Fordham University.

Samantha Genise

Samantha Genise received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and English from Monmouth University.

Louis Koolidge

Louis Koolidge received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Monmouth University.

Drew Mendelson

Drew Mendelson received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Haverford College.

Lynn Romeo

Lynn Romeo is Professor Emerita in Education at Monmouth University.

Christine Bant

Christine Bant received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Arcadia University and is an early childhood educator administrator.